About Me

I am an animal person. I own two lovely dogs and two gorgeous cats. I work with the wildlife conservation NGO Satpuda Foundation in the tiger reserves of central India. Before that I worked for 14 years with the street dogs of Mumbai. I created and manage the INDog Project www.indog.co.in and the INDog Club.

This blog is for aboriginal breed enthusiasts. It is part of the INDog Project www.indog.co.in. Only INDogs (Indian Pariah) and INDog-mix mongrels are featured here. The two are NOT the same, do please read the text on the right to understand the difference. Our aim: to create awareness about the primitive natural breed called the Indian Pariah Dog/INDog.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The amazing destiny of Maya and Chicca

Sara Casapulla is from Italy. She adopted two beautiful Indies while posted in India on work.
Here's the story of Sara, Maya and Chicca:I moved to Kerala (Kochi to be exact) in June 2010 for a work project.

I have always been an animal lover and living in a rural area of Kochi made me see the real interaction between humans and animals, for beautiful or ugly as it might be. Day after day, something was changing inside of me, an overall awareness. I didn't see any more the world I was living in as a beautiful and heavenly place, all I could see and concentrate on was the fate of the animal world in the hands of humans.

Cows and buffaloes in congested trucks being brought to slaughterhouses, chained elephants used to serve Gods and tourists, chickens kept in tiny cages waiting to be sold and cooked...But what struck me the most was the condition of stray dogs, which is sadly the same all around the world.

The streets of Kerala are filled with stray dogs, who I found later from personal research are often INDogs or aboriginal pariah dogs, and they are the oldest breed in the world. Most of them live off human garbage, some of them are lucky to be fed by street vendors or roadside butchers. Only a few find real homes, as nowadays the upper classes like to show their social status by buying expensive breed dogs and consider INDogs a second-class breed...

I decided I wanted to help them and I wanted to start by adopting a stray. So I went to see a shelter in Kochi run by a British lady (Maddogtrust), and asked if she had any abandoned dog for adoption. She showed me dozens of dogs, puppies and grown-up ones, abandoned and neglected. It was very difficult and painful to choose as all were desperately looking for human affection and somebody who would take them home...But I had to make a choice.

Among all the dogs, I noticed a three-month-old little white girl, whom Penny (the owner of the shelter) had found a few weeks back abandoned on Fort Kochi beach. She was tiny and skinny and very shy. She was all white with black patches on her belly and and a black nose, sweet as honey.

I decided I would take her home with me and I named her Maya.

When I brought her home she slept for days, as she was obviously exhausted. We already had a dog in the house who "fathered" Maya from the first moment he saw her, and they became best friends in a span of days!

The tiny shy girl blossomed into a healthy capricious princess and became the ruler of the house!

She would cry to come inside, bully her big brother Pallu, who was triple her size, and be moody the whole day when the vet had to handle her. She became my joy and happiness. I understood the real meaning of pet love and started to be compassionate with other animals day after day.

My house was right on the backwaters where tiny strips of land were inhabited by fishermens' huts. I could often hear dogs barking and crying from the houses and with the help of binoculars I could see chained pets kept outside the huts. I could not sleep at night when the howling was too desperate or atrocious. I tried to ask for help in order to free the dogs, but there isn't a law there which protects pets...I tried to talk to those fishermen but as we could not communicate, I had to give up. All I could do was watch those poor dogs with my binoculars hoping to see the fishermen feed them or free them for a while.

One of them had a female dog with her pup kept on a tiny strip of land where he used to fish at night. Even if the mum and pup hadn't been chained, they could not escape from that strip as it was surrounded by water, they were prisoners for life...I was wondering why the fisherman was keeping the pup, as the mother was already guarding his "property" and he didn't really need a second dog...But at least they were together and did not suffer a lot in their imprisonment.

Six months had passed since I adopted Maya and one evening I heard a pup crying not far from my house. Fishermen used to abandon their unwanted pets in the area. I had already treated an abandoned pup affected with mange, who was luckily adopted by a local family once he recovered.

My heart started beating fast, I knew that somebody would have abandoned another unwanted puppy...I took a torch and went out into the deep vegetation, trying to locate the cry. It was coming from the river banks, and finally I saw the pup hiding and howling in fear in the bushes. With horror I recognized the pup, he was the fisherman's pup.

The fisherman had separated him from his mother, who was calling out for him on the opposite side of the river. He must have waited for the pup to be big enough (he was around three months), put him in his small wooden boat, ferried him across the river, and thrown him out like an old thing.

I tried to rescue him but he was too scared and wouldn't let me go near him, so I decided to bring him some food and wait for the following morning to have the daylight in my favour. Fortunately he must have fallen asleep soon after I left as I didn't hear him crying during the night...

At dawn I woke up and ran to the pup who was still scared and did not let me approach him. So I dropped him some more food and went to ask for forces. I called Maya, who immediately ran outside and went to rescue the little one!

The pup was a she. I took her in my arms and brought her inside the house.

From that moment I have never heard her crying again.

Maya and big brother Pallu took care of her from the first moment she stepped in the house and never let her alone for a single moment. I decided to name the little baby Chicca.

My happiness only lasted a few days as I could not keep her forever. I already had Maya and was going back to Italy one day, I couldn't bring two dogs with me for different reasons...So I contacted a local shelter that could take her in, and decided, heartbroken, to take her there.

When the day came I was completely devastated, my heart broke in two when I left her at the shelter. I could not eat any more and cried for days. I could not imagine her staying in a crowded shelter with other dogs, she did not deserve this kind of life. I had to take her back.

Ten days had passed but when we went to pick her up, she recognized us immediately and gratitude was written in her tiny black eyes.

Maya and Pallu were excited when they saw her and ever since she has been part of the family, the most joyful and happy being I have ever met, she has never been capricious or cried, as she could understand where she had come from. I always say that she is an ancient soul...

The stay in India is almost over, a few more months or maybe a year, all is still uncertain but all I know is that Maya and Chicca are coming back with me. I would never leave them here, they are part of my family and I would climb mountains and cross seas to bring them with me.

The procedures are very long and expensive, I had to have their blood tested and send the samples to a laboratory in Europe for rabies antibodies detection. I am now waiting for the results and if they are positive, they will be able to travel after three months from the date of the blood test. They will have to take first a domestic flight from Kochi to Delhi, and then an intercontinental one from Delhi to Rome. I have bought the appropriate IATA approved crates and Bach Flower Remedies to calm them down during the flight.

12 comments:

I am not easily moved to tears, but I was, while reading the heartfelt and eloquently told story of Maya and Chicca. Thank you, Sara. I know these little ones will be a source of joy to you in the years to come.

When we moved Puppy from Delhi to Calgary, he seemed to have handled the REALLY long flight a lot better than we did. The handlers from Lufthansa did a great job too - they must have fed him well during the stopover at Frankfurt. Puppy was as bouncy and perky as ever, and promptly proceeded to mark the Calgary airport as his territory as soon as we let him out of the crate!

Ciao SaraHope you continue to post about your lovely dogs after reaching Italy. Wishing all of you a good and safe journey. I know, the procedures are not so easy and particularly dealing with some local officials here might go beyond the limits of your patience. Please remember that you need an export certificate from India before leaving the country and that the same is valid for just one week, so you would have to get it issued once your flight date is finalized. All the best! Nicole

Thanks for the story Sara. I had found out about a pup on this blog by Rajashree and was fortunate enough that the Canadian woman, Lisa Warden, who found him and took care of him was able to do the leg work to get him to Canada. It seems to be much easier than Europe, no needing to send blood samples away for testing. We live in Ottawa and Pete flew with Lisa from Ahmedabad to Mumbai and then on Lufthansa from Mumbai to Frankfurt (where Pete apparently got some good love, scratches and some out of crate time) and then from Frankfurt to Toronto. We drove the 5hrs to Toronto that morning and anxiously awaited out new little family member. He bonded with my Canaan dog immediately and there isn't ANYTHING I wouldn't do for him.

Although I didn't experience the stress that trying to export a dog can involve, we really just had to make a few phone calls and arrangements, I can imagine the challenge but it will be so worth it in the end.

US and Canada seem quite simple compared to EU countries. Minna, there are a few other Indy-owners who might be able to guide you. Nicole who took a dog to Switzerland, and June Basar who took one to Denmark. Last year a Mumbai dog also went to Finland.

Thanx everybody for your support and advice, it is going to be a very long process with all the procedures, certificates etc etc but I will make it at any cost! The most difficult thing has been done,the serum test..I am waiting for Chicca's results as the first test come out negative as her immunity was very low, so I had to do it again...Hopefully this time it will be ok...I should have the results by next week. Minna, as for the method to send the serum to the lab in Europe (in Sweden to be exact)I had it done in a private vet clinic in Kochi, but as fedex and other private couriers dont seem to be very fast there, I didnt want to take any risk so I brought teh serum with me to Delhi. I put the serum tubes in an icebox with dry ice and put it in my check-in luggage along with a certificate signed by the vet stating that the serum was not infected, in case they would have checked me, but they didnt. When I arrived in Delhi, I brought the samples to my vet (Dr Choudhary, who helps with all the formalities and certificates, you need to contact him if you are staying in Delhi, he can do all the work for u!), who sent them to the lab in Sweden. Once I'll have the results positive, I'll have to wait 3 months from the date of the blood test before travelling with the dogs. You will also need to buy IATA approved crates and book with Lufthansa, the best aircompany in dealing with pets transportation. Please tell me if you need more infos...Where are u based in India?

Hello, just a quick update on my babies: they are not flyingfrom Kochi to Delhi anymore because I am too scared to put them on a domestic flight so we are going to make the journey by train, 38 hours! Booked a first class compartment for all of us! Wish us a good journey!!! :-)

This is an informal, unofficial group of INDog enthusiasts, linked to my awareness campaign the INDog Project. "INDog" is what we call the Indian native dog, also known as the Indian Pariah Dog. The INDog belongs to a group of dogs known as natural breeds, and aboriginal and primitive breeds.

This is not a welfare or animal rights blog, though health and welfare are discussed sometimes. It is not about any organization. It is not about the "stray dog issue." There are many other sites dealing with such topics. Moreover, Pariah and stray are NOT the same thing (see the glossary below, and also the INDog website).

This blog celebrates the INDog/Indian Pariah Dog as an aboriginal race/breed - its origins, characteristics, appearance, temperament, behaviour, and the sheer fun of keeping it as a pet. If, like many of us, you are captivated by India's First Dog, read on.

Quoting from this blog or the INDog site: I have noticed that while most people follow the normal etiquette and credit my blog or site if they use content, there are a few who have copied text and pictures or quoted copiously without any acknowledgment. Please do not use any content from here or from the INDog site without permission and acknowledgment.

Dogs featured in this blog: I only feature INDogs (Indian Native Dogs) adopted as house-pets. Sorry, the building dog who comes up for his dinner can’t be enrolled. I also feature INDog-mixes who are house pets. In fact, if you live in an Indian city, your dog is possibly of mixed lineage and not a pure-blooded native dog. I call these dogs INDog-mix or Indies.

If you'd like me to post your dog's story in this blog, please write to me at rajashree DOT khalap AT gmail DOT com, along with photographs. I also have a page on Facebook called The INDog Club. Please join if you find this topic interesting.

Why I created the INDog Project and INDog Club: I had the idea of setting up this forum after adopting my own dog, Lalee. My pet peeve is the general confusion and misconceptions about our native dogs. My pet project is to get this ancient natural breed the respect and recognition that is its due.

The Indian public is not particularly dog-savvy and the common third world mindset affects perceptions about dogs. As in many of the poorer countries of Asia and Africa, pets are still selected according to an outdated colonial-era ranking order which perceives anything foreign as superior to anything native. The growing middle class also seeks to display its spending power by purchasing expensive Eurobreeds.

If you too believe that artificially developed modern breeds are superior to ancient indigenous ones, read no further. This blog is not for you.

In a slide presentation on stray dogs I created for The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD) in 1994, and in the WSD website, I pointed out that the Indian Pariah Dog is NOT a mongrel but a primitive breed in its own right, evolved by natural selection over many centuries. This is based on the theories of canine biologists and experts worldwide. True pariah-type dog populations have probably suffered minimal or no genetic contamination by modern breeds. To read more about this, click here.You'll see my post of May 11, 2008 on the "long-term pariah morphotype."

Major W.V. Soman pointed out the difference between Pariahs and mongrels way back in 1963, in his book The Indian Dog. Even earlier, the famous naturalist, environmentalist and Tamil scholar M. Krishnan wrote in praise of these dogs in his essay "The Pariah" (read about his essay here). It's time Indians got the message.

The INDog/Pariah Dog is the blueprint, the prototype for our best friend canis familiaris. It’s what Nature intended dogs to be.

Why I created this blog: My friends and family are sick of this topic and I have to find some new people to pester!

Seriously, where else can we besotted INDog and INDog-mix owners meet up and show off our beloved pets?

INDog owners, please use this space to share your experiences, dog photos and videos, useful information for other dog-owners. Owners of mix-breeds (or mongrels) are also welcome, as long as the dog is at least part INDog. Mail your dog stories, opinions and dog images to me at rajashree DOT khalap AT gmail DOT com. They will be moderated but everything relevant to this topic will appear here. No objectionable or offensive posts please.

Must-know stuff

Pariah:An indigenous and ancient race of domestic dogs which evolved a distinct appearance and character without human intervention. This appearance is called the "long-term pariah morphotype" by scientists -clickhereto seephotos of the type.The word comes from the Pariah tribe of Tamil Nadu which was considered outcast.

While the original usage of the term is derogatory, it has become a scientific term and has been used by zoologists and ethologists for decades, for instance by Dr B S Guha and Colonel Sewell in their chapter on zoological remains in "Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization" (ed. John Marshall, 1931). It has no negative connotation in the scientific, canine context. (We should remember that even the words dog, its Hindi equivalent kutta, and bitch are used in a derogatory way although they are obviously perfectly acceptable when used in reference to dogs alone).

Pariah-type dogs across continents have the same basic physical characteristics. Enthusiasts consider such primitive breeds to be superior in most ways to artificially developed breeds as they are perfectly adapted for survival. These breeds are not only extremely hardy, they are also very alert and have the high-order intelligence required for a free-roaming life under circumstances that are often difficult and even hostile. In biological terms, the aboriginal dogs of Asia and Africa are of the highest value for study of genetics and origin of the dog.

Dogs are not much studied in India and in the early days there were no Indian experts in this area, so terms coined by western scholars tended to stick. I believe the term "Indian Pariah Dog" is very generic and that our aboriginaldogs should have a name of their own (like the Canaan Dog of Israel). The name INDog is already being used by some experts and is perfect for this indigenousbreed.

Aboriginal breeds in some parts of the world have now been officially recognized by kennel clubs, including the UKC, which has a Pariah and Sighthound group. The FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) refers to Pariah dog types as "Primitive Types." In some countries such dogs are being selectively bred. The best-known are the Canaan Dog of Israel and the African Basenji.

It is generally accepted that many of the free-roaming dogs in Indian cities and towns are actually mix-breeds (mongrels), though some certainly look more "mixed" than others. Pure INDogs are more common in rural and remote areas where there are no Eurobreeds or other types of dog to interbreed with, and minimal or no admixture has occurred. In this blog we will go by appearances and refer to the "pure-looking" dogs as INDogs/Pariah Dogs.

People sometimes use the words "Pariah" and "stray" interchangeably. This is an incorrect usage.

INDog: A dog which perfectly conforms to the true pariah-type. This is the name many of us have started using for the Indian Pariah Dog.

Mongrel: (called mutt in the US) A dog of mixed butindeterminate breed,whose lineage is not known. Earlier pariahs were considered to be mongrels but for the last few decades it has been recognized that pariah dogs are a pure, natural breed in their own right. In India almost all mongrels have INDog/Indian Pariah mixed in their lineage.

Mongrels exist thanks to irresponsible dog-owners who let their pets mate with strays. This practice not only exposes the pet to serious health risks (including venereal disease), it also increases the already huge street dog population, and lessens the number of genetically pure INDogs.

(I've nothing against mongrels - in fact, I think they are adorable - but the reason for their existence is poor pet ownership, which is regrettable to say the least. It would be a pity to lose the unique character of our ancient aboriginal race because some silly people let their pets roam and breed on the street.)

Pi-dog, pye-dog: A term used by the British. It also means pariah dog.

Stray: There is a lot of confusion about this word and it is frequently used incorrectly. “Stray” does NOT refer to breed but to the legal status of the dog. In India it seems to mean an ownerless, unlicensed free-roaming dog. Since most "strays" in India happen to be INDogs or mongrels, all these terms are often used interchangeably. This is wrong. Purebreeds abandoned by their owners become strays. INDogs and mongrels adopted into homes are no longer strays but pets.

I find this word very vague and don't use it much. I prefer the terms "free-roaming" or "free-ranging" dog.

Purebreed: A dog of only one breed, born of selected parents. Most of the commercially recognized “pure” breeds have only been created in the last two centuries, as strict breeding norms were not followed earlier. In actual fact, almost all modern “pure” breeds have been created by mixing two or more breeds.